Fan



. FAN

Filed April 16, 1938- Y ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FAN Harry L. Latz, New York, N. Y.

Application April 16, 1938, Serial No. 202,457

3 Claims.

The invention relates to fans of the type customarily utilized by persons for cooling purposes, and has for its object to provide a fan having a handle, and constructed in a novel manner so as to be easily adjusted to a folded and unfolded condition at will. The invention contemplates primarily an arrangement in which the handle in its folded condition is located in its entirety between the folded sections of the body of the fan.

Other more specific objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates an example of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. l is a face view of the novel fan in its unfolded operative position; Fig. 2 is a view showing the handle of the fan adjusted to its inoperative folded position, and Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the completely folded fan.

As shown in the drawing, the fan comprises a body consisting of two sections 5 which are foldably connected with each other for instance by means of a score line 6. The latter extends longitudinally of the body and is preferably located midway thereof so that the sections 5 may be folded upon each other, as shown in Fig. 3; the score line 6 obviously may be replaced by any equivalent hinge suitable for the purpose and arranged to produce the same results.

A handle 1 of convenient dimensions and appropriate form preferably of T-shape is provided at one end with laterally projecting lugs 8 and 9, one of which, for instance the lug 8, is pivotally connected at it with one of the sections 5. The other lug 9 is arranged to co-operate with a slot ll formed in the other section a to lock the handle I in its unfolded operative position, and to coincidentally maintain the sections 5 in the unfolded operative position illustrated in Fig. 1. The pivot Ill and the slot ll are so arranged relatively to each other that the lug 9 will easily enter said slot H as the handle '3 is pivotally adjusted to its unfolded operative position; to facilitate the insertion of the lug 9 into the slot H, the lug 9 is preferably formed with a sloping edge portion l2 and the slot H is preferably inclined at an angle to the score line 6 or its equivalent. In addition the handle 1 and its lugs 8 and 9 are so dimensioned and the pivotal connection I is so located that the handle 1, in its folded, inoperative condition will be located in its entirety between the folded sections so as to be completely hidden thereby as shown in Fig. 3.

When it is desired'to adjust the fan from the completely folded position shown in Fig. 3 to the unfolded condition illustrated in Fig. 1, the sections 5 are unfolded on the score line 6 or equivalent hinge to the position shown in Fig. 2. The handle 1 is then swung on the pivot It in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 and the lug t, which partakes of such pivotal movement of the handle I, is inserted into the slot ll. The passage of the lug 9 into the slot I l naturally results from the adjustment of the handle I to its operative position and is facilitated by the sloping edge portion I2, and accordingly requires no special manipulation on the part of the person using the fan.

The parts are further so arranged and dimensioned that the handle 1 in its operative position will project outwardly from the body of the fan in normal relation thereto when the lug t is located in the slot H; in other words, the handle 1 occupies an operative position corresponding to the position of a handle which is rigidly fixed to the body in fans of the illustrated type. At the same time, the lug 9 in cooperation with the slot I I will fix the handle 1 in said operative position, and will also maintain the sections 5 in their unfolded condition. In the completely unfolded position shown in Fig. 1 the fan may be efiiciently used for cooling purposes in the customary manner.

When it is desired to fold the fan to its inoperative condition, the handle I is swung on its pivot 10 in a return direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. The pivotal adjustment of the handle I withdraws the lug 9 from the slot H and is continued until said handle 1 lies in surface engagement with the one section 5 and is contained in its entirety within the boundaries thereof. The withdrawal of the lug 9 from the slot H releases the sections 5 and enables the slotted section to be folded on the score line 6 or equivalent hinge over and into surface parallelism with the associated section 5 as shown in Fig. 3.

In its fully folded condition the fan is very compact with the handle I entirely hidden between the two folded sections 5. The folded fan may be readily carried in a pocket of the users clothing or in a hand bag so asto be readily available for use when required or desired. The fan is of simple construction and may be produced at low cost and requires no particular skill or effort in its adjustment to and from its folded and unfolded positions and vice versa.

Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A foldable fan comprising a body consisting of two sections foldably connected with each other midway of the body, a handle provided at one end with laterally projecting lugs one of which is pivotally connected with one of said sections whereby said handle is movable relatively thereto to an inoperative position between the folded sections and to an operative position across the foldable connection of said sections and extending outwardly from said body in the direction of said foldable connection, said handle in its inoperative position being located in its entirety within the boundaries of said folded sections so as to be completely concealed thereby, and means on said handle and the other of said sections co-operating with the other lateral projection of said handle to lock the latter in its operative position and the sections in antunfolded condition.

2. A foldable fan comprising a body consisting of two sections foldably connected. with each other and adjustable toan operative extended position and to anlinoperative folded position in surface parallelism, one of said sections being provided with a slot inclined in oblique relation to the foldable connection between said sections, and a handle provided with a laterally projecting lug having a sloping edge portion, a pivot member located in lateral registry with said lug and in proximity to said foldable connection whereby said handle is pivotally connected with said other section, said handle being pivotally adjustable on said pivot member to an operative position in which said lug projects into said slot to lock the handle in said operative position and to maintain said sections in their extended position, and being pivotally adjustable in a reverse direction to an inoperative position between the folded sections, the handle being dimensioned and its pivotal connection located so as to position said handle in its entirety within the boundaries of the folded sections to thereby completely conceal the handle when in said inoperative position.

3. A foldable fan comprising a body consisting of two sections foldably connected with each other along a score line located midway of said body, and adjustable to an operative extended positionand to an inoperative folded position in surface parallelism with each other, one of said sections being provided with a slot on one side of said score line, and a T-shaped handle including laterally projecting lugs one of which is pivotally connected with the other of said sections on the other side of said score line whereby said handle is pivotally adjustable to an inoperative position entirely within and between the folded sections and to an operative position across said score line and extending outwardly from said body in the direction of said score line with the other of said lugs inserted into said slot to lock said handle and said sections in their operative positions.

HARRY L. LATZ. 

